More about PHP Handlers

PHP handlers deliver the PHP programming libraries. Each handler delivers the libraries through different files and implementations. Each file and implementation affects Apache’s performance, because it determines how Apache serves PHP.

Note: If PHP is not built into EasyApache, you will not be able to select a handler.

By default, you are offered 4 options from the pull-down menu.

Default options

suPHP

This is the default value. We generally recommend serving PHP using suPHP. This is because you will be able to see which user owns the account that is running the PHP script. In order to see this option, you will need to enable Mod SuPHP when configuring EasyApache.

DSO

This option will provide the selected version of PHP through libphp4.so or libphp5.so. This is generally regarded as the fastest way to respond to PHP requests; however, PHP will execute as nobody, barring you from seeing which user account is executing the PHP code.

You may not configure both PHP 4 and PHP 5 to use the DSO option unless the concurrent DSO patch was applied at build time. If you wish to use DSO to handle both PHP 4 and PHP 5 requests, then you must rebuild PHP using the WHM interface or the EasyApache 3 (EA3) feature. You can access this script using the WHM EasyApache feature, or in the command line interface by typing /scripts/easyapache when you are logged in as the root user.

CGI

The CGI handler provides the selected version of PHP through mod_cgi or mod_cgid. If suEXEC is enabled, you will be able to see which user, through the virtual host, has made the PHP request. (A virtual host allows you to host multiple domains from a single IP address. The owner of a virtual host will be the same as the account name.) However, if suEXEC is disabled, the PHP request will be served to the user nobody.

The CGI method is intended as a fallback handler for when DSO is not available. This method is neither fast nor secure, regardless of whether or not suEXEC is enabled.

None

Does not provide access to the selected version of PHP.

Additional options

Depending on your server's Apache configuration, you may see additional PHP handler options.

FCGI

This stands for "fast CGI," another implementation for the CGI handler. It attempts to lower the overhead of interfacing Apache with CGI programs. This allows the server to serve more web pages, more quickly. For more information, you can view the FCGI wikipedia page.

Note: You must select Mod FCGID from the EasyApache Exhaustive Options List in order for FCGI to appear as an option on the Configure PHP and suEXEC screen.